15 Hilarious Alternative Names for Animals

L.D.

By L.D.

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Let’s face it: sometimes nature is weird. Take, for instance, the mounting evidence that suggests that dogs, birds, fish, and snakes (among other animals) can all “predict” when an earthquake is coming. Or look to zebra finches, which are known to lay slightly larger eggs when the their mate is “less attractive.” Offering extra nutrients to their unborn chicks is believed to be a way to compensate for their poor genes on dad’s side. And what about the star-nosed mole? I mean, need I say more?

Photo Credit: Flickr/gordonramsaysubmissions

And it’s not just nature that can be absurd sometimes — scientists often find themselves leaning into the absurd, as well. Let’s take, for example, the naming of animals. I dare you to try to say “tasseled wobbegong” without feeling just a little bit silly. What about “blob fish?” If you’ve ever seen one, you know that when it came time to name the newly-discovered species, someone looked at it and said, “Oh, that fish that looks like a blob? Let’s just call it a blob fish,” and called it a day. The ice cream cone worm and the fried egg jellyfish? Same thing.

So, in the spirit of fun that scientists clearly had when naming these new species, we’ve decided to re-name a few that we all know and love. Take a look, and if you can think of a few of your own (or even better names for the animals listed below), please share them in the comments!

1. Wise Old Wrinkle Beasts

Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/kyslynskyy

2. Sticky Ribbits

Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/macropixel

3. Roly Poly Helmet Opossums

Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/sdbower

4. Dopy Love Monsters

Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/Željko Radojko

5. Bump-Bump Horses

Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/Hunta

Click “Next” for more hilarious animal names!

L.D. and her eleven-year-old lab, Eleanor Rigby Fitzgerald, moved from Seattle to Grand Rapids earlier this year, and are currently enjoying exploring their new city! She likes books, music, movies, running, and being outdoors as much as possible.

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